A Letter For Zig Zag Zig

The RZA and his concept of creative intelligence

[Listen to this letter here with my ElevenLabs voice clone]

When I first heard RZA explain his “zig zag zig” concept on Rick Rubin’s Tetragrammaton podcast, I felt a profound sense of gratitude for the way he illuminated such a beautiful metaphor for creativity and growth. In his words, “Zig Zag Zig means knowledge, wisdom, understanding,” and that initial spark of curiosity—whether from a thought, word, or experience—finds its way into the “zag,” like a seed planted in fertile soil. It then emerges transformed into a more evolved interpretation, a higher level of understanding.

Growing up the Wu-Tang Clan was the mythical entity. As a kid/teenager I certainly wasn’t even close to being cultured and read enough to understand what they were doing. This podcast really opened my eyes to the journey and path that RZA was on and how it shaped the creativity and music they were producing.

I’m in awe of how perfectly RZA captured the essence of creative thinking and human curiosity: that initial spark of an idea needs somewhere to land and develop before it returns, reshaped and refined. The comparison to a sperm cell entering the womb and then reemerging with greater potential is, to me, such a powerful image—one that frames the creative process as inherently life-giving and full of possibility. It reminds me that no idea should remain static; each one deserves the chance to grow, to be tested, and to be molded into something better.

Hearing RZA describe how knowledge becomes wisdom and wisdom becomes understanding helped me see that there’s a natural rhythm to our creative process. We take in what we learn, let it marinate, and then watch it blossom into something more profound. This cycle of “zig zag zig” also speaks to the deep curiosity that shapes human intelligence. It’s only by allowing ourselves to question, explore, and nurture new perspectives that we can push the boundaries of what we know.

I feel incredibly thankful for how RZA brought such an elegant framework to light. An unexpected gift to me today and one I’m positive I’ll carry with me the rest of my life. His explanation calls on us to be patient with our thoughts, to treat them as seeds requiring a safe and nurturing place to grow, and then share them with the world in their fullest form. It’s a reminder that creativity is not a one-step process—it’s a transformative journey from knowledge to wisdom to understanding, all sparked by a genuine curiosity about the world around us.

My stoic readings of Marcus Aurelius talk about turning inward, almost “implanting” a thought within one’s rational mind and allowing reason and virtue to shape it before acting. This internal process—contemplating an initial impulse (the zig), letting it resonate with deeper principles (the zag), and then emerging with refined, virtuous action (zig) —mirrors RZA’s creative womb concept, albeit in more rational terms.

I hope this gift passes along to you and you can use it as the initial zig, and let the process work. I’m positive a zig will come out that even better.

With love and deep appreciation,

Andrew